Gay
When I was a child, my ex-neighbour’s daughter was gay. I never thought it was unusual. I saw the couple doing everything together and I thought to myself, someday I want the kind of friendship they had (obviously still ignorant to what being gay means). When I turned sixteen, I learnt that one of my school mates is gay. And I thought he was brave to acknowledge that he was gay.
Sometimes, gays do not dare to confess that they are gay because they are afraid of being rejected and not accepted by others. But I think it is more important that they learn to accept themselves prior to seeking acceptance from others. Everyone should have the freedom to love.
Yet again, what if this happens to your own child?
I pondered for a while, trying to picture what it would be like having a kid and how I would react if one day my child tells me that he/she is gay…
I reckon it would be hard to accept but I would eventually.
Xiao Yin Jie’s Birthday
First November two thousand and nine was Xiao Yin Jie’s birthday. Before attending the birthday party, I didn’t know who Xiao Yin Jie was. Julia merely told me that it was her friend’s birthday and we will be going to her house for KTV session. Because Sweetie had assignment to do, Julia, Eddy and I took a bus to Sunnybank Hill. Sweetie will meet us at Jack’s place later in the evening when he’s finished with assignment.
Anyway, there I met many new friends, mostly from Taiwan. They are super friendly people!!
Both Jack and Jasmine (aka Xiao Yin Jie) are fantastic host. First, it was coffee and tea, than red wine, followed by birthday cake and pizza.
KTV sessions was fab, food was fab, company was fab, host were fab.
Xiao Yin Jie, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Mooch*
Joanne and I
Julia and I
KTV’ing
The love birds – Julia and Eddy.
Sophia, Xiao Yin Jie, Joanne, Me, Julia
Sophia, Elva, Me
Can’t remember her name. All I remember is that she’s a nurse.
Ting, Jack, Jasmine, Scott
Sweetie and I
They were singing “yao bing cai hui ying”. A very old song.
Lawrence, Stanley, I, Jack Ge
West End Market
Like every Saturday, Sweetie and I will do grocery at West End market.
But unlike other days, we chance upon many friends.
First, we saw Bernard while buying vegetables.
Then we saw Michelle and Julian while buying breakfast.
After which, we joined Adila, her friend, Yilong and Daryl for breaky.
All was good!
Cheers!
The twenty-fourth day of November two thousand and nine
I’m flying back to Singapore on the twenty-fourth day of November two thousand and nine. People in Singapore wants me back and people in Brisbane want me here. And I personally want to live in this beautiful place for a little longer but there are reasons why I cannot.
First and foremost, I have graduated and am expected to start working. It is only right that I do the right thing. And who determine what’s the right thing to do – elderly (basically anyone older than I am). Dad and Mum had already given me two months to date to find a job and I haven’t found any. I blame it on my visa status and the fact that I’m a Chinese. And more so, I do not have the time and money to stay till I get my Australian Permanent Resident Visa, which will probably take 10 months to a year. Most of my friends who are in the same situation as I am either took approximately six months to find a job, or give up their PR and fly back to where to they came from.
Secondly, both friends and family in Singapore wants me back. They think that I would have better job opportunities in Singapore than in Brisbane. Further more, I’m a Singapore citizen, and that means I wouldn’t have any visa issues or restrictions. Plus, I wouldn’t be classified as a second-class citizen as I would be in Brisbane.
I agree to everything they say. It makes so much sense but I can’t bear to leave sweetie. After thinking long and hard about what everyone had told me, I thought it was time to pack up and go back.
Ed will be back after his summer classes, so it will be probably two and half months before we meet again. And after one-week stay in Singapore (for CNY), he’ll be back in Brisbane for five months before he graduates and fly back again. Well, it isn’t that bad uh?!?
Sigh. It’s back to LDR.
I need more TLC.
Breaking
Finding a job in Australia is easier said than done. I’ve tried but still luck isn’t on my side. My current visa is the greatest hinder to my career path (if I have any at all to begin with). I graduated on 18 August 2009; since than I had been jobless for approximately two months. That’s really bad uh?!? Right now I’m asked to go back to Singapore since the economy is recovering and they reckon it would be easier and simpler to secure a job back home. I’m really struggling, emotionally. I reflected, think and re-think; and I am still figuring my ‘future’. Give me some time to think. I’m still learning and thinking… still thinking…
I will figure it out. Give me a while, please.
I’m breaking.
Who should pay?
I had a conversation with some friends about “who should pay for the meal”. We all had different experiences, different expectations and different answers.
J said that the man should pay. Say she and her boyfriend were to dine at a fine restaurant, he pays. Even if they eat out at a food court, he pays. And say if they were to order different food from different stores, she would take 10 bucks from him to purchase her food. Basically, her philosophy is that man should always foot the bill. That’s only being gentleman.
E said that both man and woman should pay. And she wouldn’t mind paying for her man. In the case of dinning with a bunch of friends, she wouldn’t expect him to pay for her share. She would instead pass him the money in advance. This is done so for ‘face’ sake. In her opinion, it would look ugly if he had to take money from ‘her’ to foot the bill. Thoughtful girlfriend.
Similarly, Y said that both man and woman should pay. When he goes to the food court with his girlfriend, and if they order food from the same stall, he will pay. However, if they ordered food from different stalls, she will have to pay for her own food. Recently, he realised that his girlfriend had been ordering identical dishes so that she doesn’t have to pay. Smart move. Saying so, he said that if they were to dine at a posh restaurant, he will indefinitely pay.
Ed said man should pay (but I’m not sure if this is his honest reply because I was the one who ‘interviewed’ him). It doesn’t matter where or what we eat, he will pay. And indeed, he pays. But he also said that if the girl (meaning me) takes the initiative to pay, he wouldn’t mind. WTH!
And I say, MAN SHOULD PAY! But I’ll still OCCASIONALLY pay.
“Sweetie, I do pay right!”
So Random
Just some random stuff about my life:
I decided to make my own kimchi after watching a short “how to make Kimchi” clip on YouTube.
Needless to say, it was a failed attempt!
I wasted two huge wombak.
Did I mention that Sweetie changed his wheels?
Why? For safety reasons lah!
Looking good!!
I was down with flu the passed week.
Coughing and sneezing non-stop.
But I’m well now!
Three cheers to that!
Hip-Hip-Hurray (X3)
Oh, that’s what I’ve been eating all day (porridge).
I had vegetable porridge, pork porridge, chicken porridge, nut porridge, plain porridge,
and than I went back to vegetable porridge, pork porridge, etc.*porridge feast*
Sweetie suffered with me…
From the left (clockwise) – Yusheng, Fangzi, Jaime, Eileen, Kelvin, Ken
Last Tuesday was PIZZA NIGHT!!
Our dear friends came over for pizza.
Because I was still down with cough and flu,
they had pizza while I ate porridge.
The world isn’t fair!!!!!!!
Outing at the Gold Coast
Because my dear friend Julia is working on an assignment that required her to be at Upper Coomera,
we (Julia, Eddy, Edmund & I) decided to tagged along, to assist her.
We went there for work, not play.
You believe?
LOL!!!
I knew you wouldn’t believe me.
Neither do I believe what I have just said.
But we indeed went there to conduct a complicated simple research
and then headed to the nearest bakery for breakfast.
After which we had lunch…
Did some shopping and decided to have dinner at Julia’s place.
She’s a super kind nice girl!
She boiled some kind of ginger soup for me knowing that I’m down with flu and a bad cough.
What can I say…
She is SUPER NICE La~
Love her to the bits!
~Mooch~
The Parking Theory
On the third day of October two thousand and nine, we (Dil, Yilong, Yee Ping, Ed and I) celebrated Mooncake festival at the Manors. Food was good, mooncakes were awesome, Chinese tea was fragrant and the moon was round. The best part of the night was Yee Ping’s “parking theory”.
We all had a big laugh. The “parking theory” was the best sex analogy ever! You guys rock big time!!!
To the special YOU
To my dearest Jeanie Sis
God gave a gift to the world when you were born
a person who loves, who cares
who sees a person’s needs and fills it
who encourages and lifts people up
who spends energy on others
rather than herself
someone who touches each life she enters
and makes a difference in the world
because ripples of kindness flow outward
as each person you have touched, touches others.
Your birthday deserves to be a national holiday,
because you are a special treasure
for all that you’ve done.
May the love you have shown to others
return to you, multiplied.
I wish you the happiest of birthdays,
and many, many more,
so that others have time to appreciate you
as much as I do.
Love
Winnie
Life isn’t a bed of roses
Finally, after so long, I received something positive from the companies I’ve sent my resume to. David Jones called me up for an interview. Though it was mere casual job, I was elated! Before I get my PR, I’m happy with any job at all. Saying so, it is only an interview. They have yet to offer me the job. Well, at least I am one step closer to being independent!
Frankly, for the past week, I had been feeling low. Nothing seems right. I felt abandoned, dejected, lonesome, lost, confused, forsaken, and miserable. I was crestfallen. Apparently my home will be radically changed by the time I’m back in February 2010. I’m not sure how or what it will become but what I am sure home will never be the same again.
Many times, I wish I never had to grow up. I grew up in an environment where I do not have to worry about anything else but getting good grades. My family held me in their palm and protected me with their love and life. They lifted me up when I fell and stood by me when I fear. I was their little girl but today I am a woman; out in the nasty world, having to defend for myself. I want to keep deluding myself, that I am still a girl, not yet a woman; but I can’t. Right now I’m in a foreign country, fighting for survivor. That’s life and I have to deal with it.
God, give me the strength to carry on…
Dancing light
It was a feast for the eyes.
And we enjoyed the moment with Ken, Jamie, Yu Sheng, Fang Zi, Kelvin, and Eileen.
The fireworks danced in the sky, as I sink into his embrace.
For thirty minutes, the Brisbane City lit up with life.
I was captivated.
We all were captivated.
The Parsley Magic
Yesterday, I had so much fun playing with Aesop product.
Julia introduced me to the most amazing facial product.
The Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Treatment.
I wasn’t very convinced about its effectiveness until I tried it myself.
At around 12:30pm, we walked into the cosmetic floor.
Julia dripped two drops of Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Treatment
on the back of my left hand and gently massaged until the liquid is being absorbed.
Of course, we tried out other Aesop products but I still love the Parsley Seed range best.
Just than, the sales lady’s (a Taiwanese, Julia’s friend) manager stopped by
We didn’t want to continue chatting with her and get her fired, so we scrambled off.
Approximately 60 minutes later, we went back to the mall to look for the sales girl.
She was about to try another product on the back of my hand
when I noticed a significant change of colour.
The back of my left hand was apparently whiter and brighter than my right.
It hydrates my skin, leaving my skin smooth, supple and refreshed.
Instantly I fell for the products.
I wanted to buy the bottle of Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Treatment but I hesitated.
Since I’m currently jobless, I can’t be splurging.
I need to spend wisely, think once, twice and thrice.
I’ll be good; go home, think about it and decide if I still want to buy their facial products.
I settled with some samples.
Julia bought two bar of body soap.
And we left Myer Centre.
All was good.
I’m still thinking…
Still thinking…
Still thinking…
I freaking need a JOB!!!!!!
Tutoring or not
Recently I have been helping out a good friend of mine in her studies and it occured to me that I might have the potential to tutor.
Maybe I can start a career in tutoring; since I’m a fresh graduate with minimum experience and am currently jobless?!?
Anyone need a tutor at all?
I’ve recently graduated with a Master of Business, majoring in Public Relations from QUT.
And I previously studied at UQ – Bachelor of Communication, majoring in Public Relations.
I freaking need a job!
What is love
What is love? I believe many have questioned repeatedly the definition of love. I reckon there is no one answer to what love is. Love composes of too many elements. Some are explainable, some aren’t. Some can be expressed, some can’t. Some make you smile and others make you cry. Love isn’t a bed of roses and I can’t agree more.
I fall in love every single day. Some days more intense and other days less. Love needs to be rejuvenated with sincerity, appreciation, surprises, thoughtfulness, affection (lots of hugs and kisses), genuineness, unselfishness, magnanimity and warmth. Without these elements, love fades like how your new pair of dark blue jean faints.
Love is amazing and magical but at the same time intricate and contradicting. Some times the cup is half filled and some times the cup is half emptied. Love has no units; it can’t be measured. It is subjective, not objective; colourful and colourless all at the same time.
In my lifetime, I have fallen for five men. Of which three are single-sided love. Let’s call them Samuel, Dean and Gabriel. Samuel plays the saxophone, the piano and the percussion. I was mesmerised by his musical talent, and of course, that so very cute face. And that happened when I was thirteen. My crush for him lasted three years before I fell head over heel for Dean. Dean’s smile was captivating and very charismatic. He thinks I’m cute and openly sing praises of me. I was very flattered, like really really flattered. I was sixteen then; busy preparing for GCE O’level. So with time, he vanished from my heart and sight. And when I entered the Republic Polytechnic, I had a crush on Gabriel. He wasn’t exactly the type of guy I thought I would fall for but I did. He was different from the other guys. For a period of time, we went to school together and I thought this friendship might bloom to something more but it didn’t. I didn’t feel comfortable conversing with him. In fact, we did not have much in common or much to talk about to start with. When I learnt that he was attached, I stopped falling for him. Then came along BS. This time round, it wasn’t a crush. It was a real relationship with a boy. He was a sweet guy but unfortunately that sweetness lasted mere ten months. Maybe, this is what many call the ‘puppy love’. Well, he broke my heart; I picked up the pieces and got on with life. BS was history. Just when I thought I would never find love again, Ed walked right into my heart. To be downright honest, many times, I question if he was the one. You know la, once bitten twice shy. I’ve learnt my lesson and do not want my heart broken once more. Ed touched me with sincerity, appreciation, surprises, thoughtfulness, affection (lots of hugs and kisses), genuineness, unselfishness, magnanimity and warmth. That’s when I know he is the ONE. Since the day he stole my heart, we have dated for 4 years and five months. Cheers to that!
But like I have previously mentioned about rejuvenating love, hmm… we need to work harder on that. Just thirty minutes ago, we quarreled over food. Silly but true. Because we didn’t have shave shave beef, I cooked Kimchi Fried Rice without meat. And because of that, he was pissed. He said he needed at least one type of meat for lunch and dinner and I have no qualms with that. But I was pissed that he was pissed and unappreciative. For the matter of fact, I made lunch for him and all I’ve gotten in return was nothing but complaints and a black face. So tonight he volunteered to cook dinner. I’ll see what he’s up to!
Looking back, we are but a pair of childish couple. We quarrel so much over the years over nothing in particular and often make up within ten minutes. Despite all the hiccups, I still love him dearly but I’ll love him MORE if he learns to be appreciative! Hmmpp…
Taking baby steps
I wanted to walk back out of the apartment the moment I stepped in.
The apartment is empty. The air is still. Dad and Mum aren’t around. Sweetie is out for lecture. Silent seeped in. I sat before my iMac and checked my email. One inbox. I opened the mail to read
“Thank you for taking the time to apply for the UDIA’s advertised Communications/Media Coordinator position. The depth and quality of applicants was impressive and unfortunately on this occasion you have not been successful in securing an interview. Thank you again and UDIA wishes you every success in securing your next position.”
My heart sank.
Though I have already expected many failures before success, I was still overwhelmed by disappointment. I gave myself five minutes to dwell in discontent and then continued to search for jobs. I wonder what went wrong! Was it because I have not gotten an Australian Permanent Residence visa or am I inadequate? Anyway, I still send out resumes, looking forward to their positive replies. I know I am bigger than this.
Three hours passed so quickly. I fetched Sweetie from uni and while driving; someone called me on my mobile phone. Sweetie answered the call and I knew instantly the call was something to do with a job application. Ed told her that I would call back in 10. After much rejection, I was expecting to be rejected yet again. Even so, I called back (good manners). To my utmost surprise, she asked if I would be free tomorrow morning at nine for an interview; a phone interview by her ‘boss’. Of course I was elated, but at the same time, I am not confident about securing the job.
Well, I’ll find my way around, in time. The people keeping me sane, please don’t let go of me. I’m still taking baby steps.
Missing you
Dad and Mum just left
On their way to Singapore
We return to our empty apartment
Feeling empty
I wish so much they will stay
but they left anyway
If only they never had to leave
If only they would live with me
I’ll be the happiest girl on Earth
My beloved folks
Do take care
I’ll see you when February comes
I miss you
I miss you terribly
*cry*
Sunshine Coast
Everyday with dad and mum was joyous.
It doesn’t matter where we were, I felt home.
Today, since sweetie has no lecture,
we decided to visit the strawberry farm at the Sunshine Coast.
We love strawberries!
Dad and I
The boyfriend and I
Daddy, Mummy and daughter me
Delicious!
Want some?
Anything he feeds me taste sweet!
I gave him a big and juicy berry, and he loves it!
Mum and I
Dad and Mum
Sweetie and I
Dad and I
Berry Kiss!
The folks copied!!
At Noosa Beach
Discounted Ed Hardy cap!
Love it but didn’t wanna spend money on something I rarely use.
~~~
I feel like a sunshine!
Thanks for all the tender loving care!
I’ve Graduated
All of us took pride in dressing up for the occasion. Mum and I took two hours dolling up and so did dad. Dad was so suave in his black power suit. I know my parents are proud of me. Today, their daughter, me, graduated with a Master of Business (Public Relations) from QUT.
When I put on the graduation gown, dad beamed. I know how happy and delightful he is. I know he is super proud of me. That moment, I felt the greatest sense of achievement; a great sense of satisfaction. I never felt happier. In fact, I felt most happy when my parents are happy.
I personally don’t enjoy graduating because I like studying and wish I can keep studying but I’m happy that they are happy! Sweet love!
All was great. On this special day, I have my parents, my boyfriend of four years, and my best friend in Australia, Adila. What more can I ask for! I love my life!
Dad and Mum, thanks for everything.
I love you.
Ciao.
Graduate’d
Daddy, Mummy and the boyfriend will withness my graduation!
Hurray!
I can’t be happier!
I love my LIFE!
Friends
Recently I’ve been dinning out with my friends!
Good times!!
I’m already missing Julia and Annie!
Babe, thanks for the little gifts!!!
Love it!
My destiny
These couple of days, I did a lot of thinking. I felt so privileged to be able to study abroad and experience a whole new culture. Even after completing a bachelor degree, my parents still readily supported me through a master degree. I’m more than thankful. Through my uni days, I strived really hard to score well and I’m glad my perseverance paid off.
It wasn’t easy for my parents to see me through uni. Education doesn’t come cheap you know! Now that I’ve graduated, I can’t expect my parents to provide for me. In fact, I should be providing for them in some way or other. For the past week, I had been busy dealing with the PR application forms. And after I posted all the application forms to Adelaide, I felt a sense of relieve, but this sense of relieve didn’t last long. Now here’s the real challenge – to find a job.
Just last night, I’ve sent my resumes to a some organisations. Today and in many days to come, I’ll continue to search for jobs and throw resumes until I get one. I need a job with a decent pay that is sufficient to pay my rent, bills and other living expenses. I used to think that my first job will be at a five star hotel in the marketing or public relations department, but today I’ll settle with any job at all. Before dreams and aspirations can be fulfilled, I need to be practical. I NEED AN INCOME.
In three months, if I fail to find a job, I’ll probably be on a flight back to Singapore. Ed and I will be apart and I will be devastated. That is why I MUST find a job in Brisbane. I can’t imagine another two years of LDR. We have so many plans of which include a life together. I love him so much; I can’t bear to part. But I love my parents too. I can’t live off them. They still have to save up for my brothers’ education. I can’t be an inconsiderate daughter and a selfish sister. So three months are all I have. These three months hold my destiny.
Getting PR in Australia
I’m currently super busy filling in forms.
Like a LOT of forms.
It better be worth while!
Nail coloured
Yesterday Cousin Jeanie, Mum and I went Nail Passion for manicure and pedicure.
I love my new colours now!!!!!!!!
I like my nails being taken care of.
This is my so very pretty cousin, Jeanie!
And this is my ever so young Mummy!
Last but not least, WINNIE DIORA CHEW!
MOI
Clubbing with Mummy
It is usual for people my age to be clubbing but it will be unusual for people my age to be clubbing with their mum. Tonight, my cousin Jeanie brought Mum and I to The Pump Room at Clark Quay. Cousin Sharon, Cousin Lyn and Bell were clubbing there too! What can I say… it was a fab night out! We were out since 10:30pm and only finished partying at about 4am. What an experience!! To top that off, Cousin Jeanie was a VIP, so we didn’t need to queue to get into the club. We had a fun night dancing!!!!!!
Me, Mum, & Cousin Sharon
My cousin is a mother of two, can’t tell uh!!
Cousin Jeanie and I
CHEERS
Me and Cousin Sharon
We drank two bottles of “this”
The crowd
Sharon, Winnie and Jeanie
Sharon, Mum and Jeanie
Bell, Sharon, Lyn and I
LIVE BAND
Mother and daughter
Lyn, Jeanie, Sharon, Mum, Winnie, Bell
Cousin Lyn and I
Cousin Sharon and I
The “me” in this pix do not look like ME.
Cousin Sharon, Me and Mum
Airport
I have a love-hate relationship with the airport. I enjoy traveling and when my motive is to go for a vacation, airport appears pleasant. But when the purpose is to send someone away, airport-experience isn’t any bit pleasant. Today, we went to the airport to send Sweetie off to Brisbane. Though we would meet in Brisbane in eight days, I felt a pinch in the heart. As soon as I reached home, I started missing him. So much. I miss him dearly!
Family gathering
Just one day after I return from Brisbane, we had a family gathering at Cousin Sharon’s condo. I totally enjoy such get-together sessions! This is very unlike Chinese New Year where we meet because we have to. I love impromptu gathering sessions where we meet because we want each other company.
Grandma was there.
Uncle Eric and family was there.
Cousin Jeanie and family was there.
Aunty Marilyn and family was there.
All the people I love was there!
The vibe was right.
I feel the family-warmth.
Little Zann and Zed
Me with Little Zann and Zed
Uncle Eric and Aunty May
Little An An
Cousin Jeanie and Me
Cousin Sharon, Zed and I
The parents of the so Loveable Zann and Zed
Aunty 2, Aunty 1 and Mummy
Ken with our little niece and nephew
Mummy and Cousin Jeanie
Aunty Marilyn, Alvina, Ivan, Uncle Patrick
This is Cousin Edwin’s son
I’m home
I was back in Singapore on 10 July and all had been great!
Family time was awesome!
And had so much fun shopping with Dad and Mum!
I’m busy right now but will be back soon, like real SOON!
Love you all!
Bad hair day
I haven’t highlighted my hair in years and I really wanted to do something about my hair, so we headed down to a hair salon at Sunny Bank. I had a haircut there some three weeks ago and quite like my hairstyle. With that, I assumed that they would do a good job dying my hair. Apparently NOT.
The hairstylist is Korean and couldn’t speak English. Therefore, his colleague translated what I said to him in Korean language. There must be some sort of miscommunication because after three hours, I looked like an Ah Lian. My hair base colour was brown but the highlights were blondish. I stared at my reflection in disbelief. All I wanted to do was to call Sweetie for help (not that he could do or change anything but I just needed him around). I kept asking Ed and Ken how I looked. They insisted I looked alright but I knew I looked terrible. The hairstylist sensed my displeasure and offered me a free hair manicure treatment. It should darken my hair colour and I’m glad it did. All in all, the hair dying session took five hours. And even after all the time spent “repairing” my hair, I didn’t like my hair colour at all.
Now, I’m hoping that the colour fade off after a few wash. Tonight after washing my hair twice, it looked slightly, just slightly better.
BAD HAIR DAY.
WORST HAIR DAY EVER.
Ciao.
People in Sydney City
I’m sitting in a cafe somewhere near the hotel blogging.
Our flight back to Brisbane is at 2:35pm but we have to check out from the hotel at 10am.
So how we spend the next few hours?
Sweetie is playing my Nintendo and I’m surfing the net (and now blogging).
I thought I would have loved Sydney and probably spend my last few hours shopping before heading the airport but I didn’t.
In fact, I can’t wait to get back to Brisbane.
In Brissy, we have really nice friends like Adila and Ken for company.
In Sydney, we were greeted by rude rowdy people.
You have no idea. In our first hour in Sydney, we saw the bus driver screaming vulgarities because the car in front of him stopped when the traffic light turned amber. He was an impatient angry man.
There was also this security guard who shouted at us in public because we walked into COLES from the wrong entrance. In his loud and obvious irritated voice, he shouted “Oei.. Where do you think you are going? Come here!”. There you go, another grumpy man in the city.
And there was this sales woman in her late thirties or early forties who asked us to leave her boutique because we had a water bottle with us. Any liquid is not allowed in her boutique. I thought I have just boarded a plane (pun intended).
It was shocking to see how people in Sydney behaved.
Saying so, we still enjoyed our vacation. We particularly liked the Hunter Valley!
Will be back at the Valley someday but will probably give the city a miss!
Ciao.
P.S. We will be back in Singapore for a short break on 10 July 2009.
Day five in Sydney – Sydney City
It’s our last day in Sydney.
Tomorrow morning we will catch the plane to Brisbane.
So we thought we’ll spend our last day in Sydney touring the city.
Here’s where we had breakfast!
Ed thinks that this is a cozy place to laze all afternoon.
But I think NOT.
Here’s what we had for breaky!
He had big breakfast with English tea and I had egg sandwich.
Here’s one of the shopping mall in the city. I saw qi pao in one of the boutique and thought of buying one for Huimin; so I walked in but got chased out because I’m holding a water bottle. Apparently I am not allow to bring in any liquid. Whatever, she lost a customer. I don’t really like people in Sydney. They are so rude and short-tempered. The driver, the security guard, the sales person, literally everyone is grouchy angry people. Now I appreciate Brisbane more.
After a long walk, we rest our feet at Starbucks! Coffee was good. We felt refreshed.
Besides some hiccups, our vacation had been a pleasent one.
P.S. Thanks to those who posted happy birthday messages for me on facebook! That’s so sweet of you! I miss all of you, especially budz fish and Jeanie sis!!
Love you all!
Day four in Sydney – Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour isn’t as amazing as Circular Quay but we had fun anyway.
That’s me, taken by Sweetie (ed)
I like how it looked so arty!!
Darling Harbour
Freshen up with Boost lemon crush
Follow the Winnie’s pose!
Whee!!!!!!!!
Day three in Sydney – Circular Quay
We returned our rented car in the morning and took a train to the Circular Quey.
We went to where all tourists go – Opera House.
Ain’t this picture beautiful?
I took this shot on Ken’s 50D Cannon DSLR.
Behind Ed is a river taxi.
Sweetie was eating a Strawberry dipped in chocolate. Lovely.
We have very few photo with both of us in the picture because we only have each other. Next trip, we’ll bring a tripot.
Tomorrow we’ll head up to the Darling Harbour.
Ciao.
Day two in Sydney – Hunter Valley
Today we decide to drive up to the Hunter Valley (167 KM away from the city).
It was a long ride but all was worth it!
On our way to the Hunter Valley.
Our first stop, Amber Park.
We stopped along our way to the vine yard because we saw moo moo (cows)!
They are so adorable!
This is what I always wanted to do – take a picture in the middle of a road.
Good thing that the road was pretty quiet.
This is the vine yard. Pretty bare but they will flourish in September.
We wanted to visit the Macadamia Farm but they are close. Too bad.
Read the signs in the picture. Stealing – $200 fine.
I just wonder how will anyone be caught. Anyway, the oranges didn’t look good so we didn’t buy any.
After a long drive, we finally found somewhere that serves lunch!
Lunch was so so good. I love salmon!!!
Sweetie liked his Rack Lamb.
After lunch – wine tasting. We bought two bottles of dessert wine!
Handmade soap. Smell heavely. Too bad I don’t use bar soap, otherwise I might spend a fortune on them.
Just before we headed back to the hotel, we stopped by at this patrol station.
I like how it look so old school. So classic!
Anyhow, we had a great day at the Hunter Valley.
Tomorrow we plan to spend our day at the Circular Quay.
Ciao.
Day one in Sydney – Blue Mountain
After one and a half hours rough ride on the plane, we finally arrived in Sydney.
And since we couldn’t check in to the hotel till two in the afternoon,
we rented a white Toyota Corolla Hatchback and drove to Blue Mountain.
What can I say, the scenery was magnificent!
I looked tired and that’s because we just took one and a half hours flight from Brisbane to Sydney and two hours drive up the mountain. YAWN!
We are at the ECHO POINT!
Behind me are the THREE SISTER.
Sweetie posing with the THREE SISTER.
This is the car we rented from Baywater Car Rental.
Tomorrow we’ll be heading to Hunter Valley for good wine.
Ciao.
Harbourtown
Since Ken is new to Brisbane, we brought him around!
We went to New Farm, Sunny Bank, Brisbane City, Milton, Toowong, Indooroopilly, Helensvale, and Mount Coot-tha. And all was good! Just last night, we went South Bank to watch Transformer! And most of all, we took heaps of good photo! Totally love Ken’s DSLR!
These are some pictures taken yesterday. More will be up soon!
At Sunny Bank, Little Hong Kong
Men’s conversation
I like the composition of this photo!!
This dog frowns all the time. Sad dog.
Ciao.
Welcome, my friend
Ken (from RP) is now in Brisbane!
It’s fate that we met at uni.
If I need not need to draft a cheque for the IELTS paper,
I will not go to uni and will not meet Ken at the bank.
These two days, Ed and I had fun hanging out with Ken.
We are so happy to see him here!
And we will be meeting him up tomrrow for breakfast!
Looking forward to more fun time!!!
Feeling vex
We are going to Sydney for a short vacation and later back to Singapore for a week or so, but I’m not feeling happy. If not for the sake of getting my PR in Australia, I will not have to spend so much money on the air tickets and IELTS exam. Furthermore, I’ve just graduated and yet to find a job, hence I’m technically wasting my parents money; and that’s why I feeling so fustrated. I’m feeling really lousy right now.
A table and a chest
Today the boyfriend finished his last paper!
Hurray!!!
Finally, we can GO OUT AND PLAY!!!
As soon as he finishes his paper, I picked him up from uni,
went to Julian’s place, picked him up and drop him off at the airport,
and headed straight to IKEA.
I went there with an agenda to buy a chest but ended with with a MALM chest and a table.
Mum promised to bring my iMac over to Brisbane this August when they visit,
so I got myself a table just for my iMac.
Here are some photos taken at IKEA~
The boyfriend trying to shit!
Honestly, I’ve no idea why ‘this’ background. I’m pretty sure they have nicer backdrop. LOL!!!
I was tired and needed a nap…
Halfway through shopping, he said he was thirsty, so here we are, eating hotdog bread and lemonade.
Did you notice anything different about me?
No, I’m not talking about my make-up.
It’s my hair!!!
I had a hair cut last week!
After four hours of shopping, we went home, had dinner and started fixing the “things” we bought!
Right now, I’m tired out!
Will post the pictures of our purchase in a couple days.
Ciao.
Vintage Car
We went to uni and saw this so-vintage car.
Oh my good!
I can’t stop taking pictures of the car.
The so lovely driver saw me taking pictures and offered to let me sit in there.
Viola!
Clearing the dust
I spent my day doing housework, nothing but housework.
Our apartment got a little messy while I was working on my assignments and exams.
So now that I am done with uni, I have the time to do a little “spring cleaning”.
Right now, I am so pleased with our little rented apartment.
The tables are clean and well organised;
the carpet is vacummed;
the bookshelves are dust-free;
and the toilet smells of my CK perfume.
Sweet!
Oh, and we changed a fresh set of bedsheet.
Clean and neat, the way I like it!
Ciao.
Dogs of my life
I was feeling bored and since it’s “Cheaper Tuesday” at Video Ezy, I rented this DVD titled “Hotel for Dogs”.
This show is basically about a 16 years old Andi and her younger brother, Bruce, who has a dog name Friday, but find themselves in a foster home with a strict no pets policy. And when they stumble upon an abandoned hotel, in no time, the kids transformed the old hotel into a home for all the stray dogs in the city, filled with loads of cool inventions to keep the dogs entertained. Of course they got caught a couple of times but they didn’t give up. Anyway, this is one heart-warming movie, and if you are interested, go get your copy!
This show got me thinking about my late pup, Haze.
He is a very playful, inquisitive, spunky, and companionable little watchdog. I was very attached to Haze and had him sleeping in my room but because he had dog odor, he had to sleep in our backyard. My Haze loves to play and will sulk when he feels left out in any activities. I haven’t thought of him in years but today I kinda miss him. Despite the hefty grooming cost, he is a good dog. Sadly, he died of heat stroke when I was fifteen.
After Haze, we got a Labrador Golden Retriever Mix from our neighbour. Her dog gave birth to eight little puppies and my family adopted one. When we first saw the little puppy, she was only as big as my palm. But in six months, she was BIG and STRONG. One day, when I took her out for a walk, she suddenly tugged me real hard and my shoulder slammed onto the gate. Of course, I was left with a really bad bruise on my right shoulder. After that incident, Mum gave that dog away.
A few months later, Mum bought a white Cocker Spaniel. But again, he was given away because apparently we can’t handle dogs.
I thought the whole dog affair will come to a stop but it didn’t. A couple years later, my brother Terence bought a Yorkshire Terrier. My bro called her Iola. It is a really nice name and I liked it.
Till today, Iola lives with us. Boy, she’s one of a kind. I can’t believe she’s still intimidated by kittens. I detest the fact that she’s still NOT toilet trained but Ed (my boyfriend) loves her anyway. Each time he comes to my house, Iola will spring toward him, not me. I reckon they have built some rapport over the years. She listens to him more than she listens to me. Occasionally we will bring her out of a walk at the park, bath her at the backyard and feed her Bah Kuah aka barbeque pork slices. I miss Iola!
Shopping at Tiffany and Co
Last weekend, Ed and I went to Tiffany and Co. on Queens Street
because I wanted to buy Mum a charm bracelet for her birthday
but everything in there cost a bomb,
so I thought, probably next year (when I find a job).
But since we were already at Tiff & Co,
we might as well walk around.
We were browsing and something caught my eyes,
or more accurately, many things caught my eyes;
but there were only two really gorgeous diamond rings that dazzled me – the
“Tiffany Emerald Cut Three Stone” and
“Tiffany Legacy with Graduated Side Stone”.
They were love at first sight!
Emerald cut, my all time favourite.
The lines of the elegant emerald-cut center stone are perfectly proportioned
with those of the fastidiously matched side stones.
Classic piece.
This cushion-cut Tiffany diamond surrounded by bead-set diamonds
evokes the glamour of the Edwardian period.
This piece is elegant and has a taste of royalty.
I told Ed that in future, when he shops for my engagement ring,
it must look something like either of these gorgeous pieces.
And he promised, he will.
I beamed.
Friends in brissy
I’ve got all the time in the world but my poor boyfriend is mugging for his exams, so I thought I would do something about my blog layout while he studies. I totally dig this new look! Simple and classic! I’ve also included a page called “a family affair” (on the top-right hand side). I’ll probably add a couple more pages along the way.
Anyway, this semester had been wondrous! I met people from different countries and all walks of life. Some of my closer uni friends are Pat (Thailand), Tom (Thailand), Ale (Argentina), Anne (Taiwan) and Julia (Taiwan). Above all, my ‘bestest’ friend in Brisbane – Adila Makhdoom (Singapore).
Michelle, Me, Jean
Me and Penny
Anthel, Winnie, Adila
Andrew, Ed, Yilong
Ale, Pat and Me
Jasmine and Me
Joy, Shuan, Lena and Me
Me and Yvonne
Michelle, Lucy, Basil, Me and David
David, Penny and Me
Me and Junie
Joanne, Me, Lena and Joy
Penny and Me
Me, Adila and Yiling
Yvonne, Me and Adila
It is funny how we (Adila and I) first met at The University of Queensland (UQ) in 2006. If memory did not fail me, we got to know each other over tutorial. She was sitting beside me. A few days later, after lecture, when Yvonne Lim, Evelyn, Adila and I were about to head down for lunch or something, I burst into tears. I know, I’m such a baby but I was really homesick! She comforted me and YES I felt so much better. It feels good to know someone is there for you. Since then we became good friends. One day, over pizza, we talked about Singapore and Uni and somehow, I don’t know how, we started talking about AusEd. Apparently, we were supposed to meet in Singapore and be potential housemates but due to the lack of time, we both flew to Brisbane without having the chance to meet. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we are both now in Brisbane and she became my ‘bestest’ friend in Brissy.
Friends forever!
The Past Week
I haven’t been blogging in the longest time because of assignments, exams and whatnot. But yesterday, I had my last paper and viola, I’m done with school. On 18 August 2009, I’ll be graduating from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). I didn’t get a change to take studio pictures when I previously graduated at UQ, so this time round, I would be looking for a professional photographer to get our (Dad, Mum, Ed, and myself) pictures taken! Totally looking forward to that day!
Honestly, I can’t really recall what I’ve done in the past week, beside rushing for assignments and mugging. Oh wait a second, I think I remember something. Sweetie bought me a Nintendo DS with a variety of games for my birthday. Though my birthday falls on 30 June, I already assumed ownership of the consoler and had been playing Super Mario since then. It can get a little addictive, or maybe VERY addictive. I’m married to my consoler!
Oh ya, he bought me a P-Touch too!
And I also remember painting my nails PINK!
And we went Springhill for breakfast with Adila.
Breakfast was so good, so I tried mimicking and here’s what we’ve got for breakfast the following day. I COOKED that!
Far-fetched, but still, breakfast was good. For the least, he enjoys it!
Rough times
Recently I have been busy with assignments and exams; that explain my lack of updates. While I enjoy studying, this couple of days was rough. I have a paper tomorrow and I barely have the time to study. So what I’ll be doing tomorrow will be to glimpse through all the lecture notes and absorb as much as possible!
Time flies, and whether I like it or not, my life as a student will terminate SOON. I’m not sure what’s in the next chapter but I anticipate. Being a twenty-three year old, I haven’t a clear idea of what I actually want. I should be ashamed of myself uh. But right now is not the best time to be spending long hours sitting at the balcony, sipping coffee and imagine my future. I have so much to do!
This semester has been overloading. I need a break and totally look forward to Ken’s arrival (more so, the things in his luggage). My cousin Jeanie had passed my brother so many things and they are all for ME! You name it, clothes, bags, cosmetics, moisturizer etc. What can I say, she’s a cherub! I’ve never seen anyone more generous than she is. All her kind gesture, appreciated. I promise that when I get my first paycheck, I’ll treat her dinner at a cafe/restaurant of her choice!!
